Twists
by xXRandomnessPrevailsXx
Summary: In Seigaku High, certain circumstances have our favorite Regulars in tight spots—mostly regarding the opposite gender. It shouldn't be too hard; falling in love, dealing with hormones, playing tennis, and oh! Putting on a play. No shounen-ai.
1. First Twist

Hello, all. This is my first RyoSaku fanfic, so I hope it turns out to be to your liking. I've been planning it out since last November. Really.

**Notes:  
**_Pairs:_ RyoSaku, MomoAnn, KaiTomo, RegularsXOC, OCXOC. (No shounen-ai—it _is_ kinda hot, but I can't write it to save Narnia.)  
_Universe:_ Future-fic, what-if-ish.  
_Warnings:_ Some swearing here and there, but not enough to qualify for Level Eminem. Hormonal teens. OOC-ness, because people have to change at least a little over the years. Sometimes tense situations.  
_Extras: _I'll be leaving translations down at the bottom for convenience's sake.

Disclaimer: When Prince of Tennis entered the world, I was three. Don't expect me to own it anytime soon.

* * *

Echizen Ryoma couldn't believe his luck. He couldn't help but think back on all the events that landed him in this miraculous place. Of course, he had to thank his sempai-tachi later for 'helping' him.

Because that's what you're supposed to do when you're a sixteen-year-old freshman driven to near insanity by 'raging' hormones.

Oh, and it usually doesn't help, hovering over the girl you've liked for three years while she's sleeping.

* * *

It all started on a day that seemed like any other day; but of course, it always starts out like that, doesn't it? It was nearly six-thirty, almost too early for students to be out and about, most especially at school. But, as always, the ever-dedicated Regulars of both the boys' and girls' tennis clubs began showing up for early morning practice. Soon after, teachers and other early arrivers came, and by seven o'clock, there were quite a few people at Seishun Gakuen's high school division.

The Regulars of the guys' tennis club were all present and practicing, save for Tezuka-buchou, observing as usual, and Echizen, who'd probably overslept. Again. Loud voices interrupted the concentration of those on the court—no one should've been near there but them, not even Ryuuzaki-sensei or those freaking fangirls. Naturally, Tezuka stood at an angle glancing slightly in the general direction of the noise, looking awesome as the others gathered 'round. A black blur ran towards the Regulars, snatches of its conversation reaching out.

"Ann, he better not—"

"—I'll punch lights out, Ann-chan—"

"—no, nii-chan, Kamio, don't! My boyfriend—"

"—attention? I'm important, too..."

"—can't wait for my Hadoukyuu—"

Eventually, the mob came to a stop in front of the curious, but not surprised Seigaku Regulars. Tachibana Kippei and Ann led the rest of the Fudomine players to greet them. Tachibana stretched out his hand. Tezuka shook it, face still stoic.

"Hello, Tezuka, Seigaku. Before you ask, take the spotlight, Ann."

"Wh-wait, why me? Argh, never mind. Our school's getting renovated because of Inui, so they had to distribute us throughout the district. It's only temporary, though, so don't worry. Sorry for the intrusion," she smiled apologetically.

"What's Inui-sempai got to do with this, Ann?" Momoshiro inquired, slinking his arm over her shoulders. Tachibana pretended not to notice and tried to keep Kamio from killing Momoshiro.

"Ah," the Data Man remarked, adjusting his glasses. "It seems to have been my Inui Elixir version 3.9... it's still in the testing process. It's amazing how many teenagers will drink anything after a short five kilometer jog..." He wandered away, scribbling in his never-ending notebook, mumbling incoherent pieces of information.

"Hoi, hoi, it's a good thing he didn't test his Eliminator-watchamacallit on us!"

"I guess, but it's still unpleasant to think of..."

"Saa, Taka-san, I'm sure it would have tasted just fine."

"Uh, I don't think that's what Taka-san meant..."

"Oishi-sempai's right! The side effects wouldn't be good, not good at all."

"Fssshhhhh... don't talk about it, Fudomine's still in shock."

"From what?" Everyone turned their attention to the person arriving behind Fudomine. He pulled his cap lower and headed for the club room.

"Echizen," Tezuka deadpanned.

"Uissu."

"Twenty laps for being late."

"Uissu."

"Erm, actually, I was wondering if we could practice here for however long the renovation will take," Tachibana put in.

Oishi stepped up. "No problem! I'll show you guys where you can put your equipment in the club room. Um, Ann, er, the girls' club room is on the other side of the courts. I'm not of much help, but if you run into trouble, just say Ryuuzaki-sensei said do. They shouldn't be too mean, after all, their buchou will handle things..."

"Oh, so now you're going to steal my thunder, too? Rambling and mumbling to oneself used to be just my running gag, and now everyone's going around and doing it as if I didn't exist..." They all stared as Shinji strolled off towards the boys' club room. He passed Echizen, who looked at him, then at the group before tugging his cap lower and began jogging his punishment laps. The silence over the group was hostile, yet awkward.

"Aaawkward tuuurtle..." Kikumaru whispered, placing one hand on top of the other and wiggling his thumbs.

* * *

Ryuuzaki Sumire watched, amused, from her window in the staff room as the Seigaku and Fudomine kids broke out laughing from Kikumaru's input. They began to clutch at their stomachs and drop to their knees as Momoshiro pointed out that Tezuka stood unmoving, like a statue. Shortly after, both buchous led the players to the courts, having settled club room issues earlier. They began having makeshift, yet well-planned matches against members from the other team, if not having a match against their doubles partner. Ryuuzaki-sensei sighed deeply; they didn't really need her there, they just needed her to represent the club among the school officials. Those brats were improving every day, even without her training them. "They're all so independent," she said to herself.

"I know what you mean! My kids don't need me to conduct them through their pieces or help with fingerings..."

"—I swear, they can all make a basket from half court, easy—"

Ryuuzaki-sensei turned to face her peers. They were all chattering on how well their students' progress was. In all her quietness, an idea came to her.

"But the thing is, they're _too _independent," Ryuuzaki-sensei prompted. "When the third years have their math lessons with me and have trouble getting something, they always turn to someone who's in the same club as them. They're actually talking less and less between classes, which is pretty severe."

A low, ominous whisper spread throughout the room. They agreed with her, but an agreement was never always about somthing good. Everyone was abruptly cut off by the sliding door whipping open. The principal skipped in, smiling boundlessly. An obvious 'I-have-an-idea~' face was plastered on her head.

"Well, I've been watching and listening, like all of you, and I have to say, Ryuuzaki-sensei, you get props for being brave enough to say it first! I mean, come on, I'm not gonna bite if you pipe up."

Ryuuzaki-sensei raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not just saying that because I'm your mother-in-law, Meimi?"

"Of course not, okaa-chan. I would've given anyone props, but you said it first."

"Oh, so you would've given me the same props as everyone else even though I'm your mother-in-law?"

"Mou, okaa-chan, I have to get to the point!"

Ah, yes, that's right. Ryuuzaki Sakuno is NOT an orphan. Both her parents are alive and well. Ryuuzaki Meimi had spent four years in Okinawa earning her Master's Degree. Ryuuzaki Kaito is an international pilot. That's all there is to it.

"Anyway," Meimi-kouchou continued, "I've been aware of this far longer than any of you, so I've had time to formulate a plan." She smiled angelically, and Ryuuzaki-sensei knew that whatever was in store for the students of Seigaku was neither easy nor short. "I've arranged for them to learn how to appreciate the efforts of everyone around them, the hard way. Flowery words will get us nowhere, so I'll tell you right now; we're going to have a half-year club switch.

"What this means is that for half a year, each club will take on the activities of another club, learning a new skill and how to interact with those they are unfamiliar with, all while keeping track of their abilities in their normal interests. At the end of half a year, we'll see how well students can communicate with others and we'll take it from there. It's not elaborate, but it's the only thing we've got. Do all of you think we should carry it out, or no?"

As the rest of the staff room cheered Meimi-kouchou's brilliance, Ryuuzaki-sensei wordlessly grinned to herself. Of course they all did agree with that course of action, but it also meant that the 'club supervisors' would finally be useful.

* * *

It wasn't everyday that Ryuuzaki Sakuno decided to have enough guts to talk to Tezuka Kunimitsu, and it was even less often that she talked to him first. Immediately after, Tezuka-buchou and Ryuuzaki-sensei headed towards the school building, but that didn't stop Echizen Ryoma from being jealous.

Surprised? Ah, you see, his arrogant brat attitude is something he'd inherited from his father. From his mother came his humble and modest, soft-spoken side. Of course, nobody had seen it because, let's face it. In American schools, pretty much nothing got deeper than best friends until middle school. Add that to the fact that Echizen kept moving school frequently to enter various tournaments. Multiply this by close friendships formed over four years (he hadn't moved since he came to Seigaku) and violà! There you have nothing more than an honest boy with exceptionally good tennis skills whose first love—in the form of an actual person, mind you—is a girl who had met him first and became a confident girl and a talented tennis player that doesn't know the extent of her loveliness.

And so, jealous-yet-still-dense Echizen asked his best friend what she had told his sempai.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Sakuno admitted, "but I've got a hunch about where it's leading. I just told him that he's wanted in the conference room. Did you need something from him, Ryoma-kun?"

"What's your hunch about?"

Sakuno tip-toed and whispered. "It's a secret until he comes back."

This alarmed Echizen greatly, and he was overly-curious about what she thought of the situation. Echizen frowned and followed her.

"Tell me."

"No."

"I can keep a secret."

"So?"

"Please, please, _please _tell me, Sa-chan?"

"Go."

"Why?" he whined. "Just tell me."

"Ah, mou, Ryoma-kun! Firstly, because okaa-chan made me keep quiet about it until it's officially announced. Secondly, I don't have to tell you because you can't follow me forever."

"Yes I can. Watch me."

"R-Ryoma-kun, you can't!" Sakuno pleaded, cheeks tinted the slightest pink. However, Echizen didn't give in.

"And why can't I follow you forever?"

"Because," Sakuno blushed, "I'm going to the girls' club room to change! Unless, of course, you want to come in and help me..." She trailed a finger off his cheek, hidden from the view of... those watching with _interest_. Seductively, she turned, swaying her hips as she strutted into the girls' club room. She shut the door slowly, winking at him, effectively flushing his cheeks a deep vermillion. Hastily, he pulled his cap over his flaming cheeks and tried to calm his damned teenage boy hormones. Why did she have to make it difficult for him to keep his cool, with that fair, porcelain skin, gorgeous toned figure, attractive long legs, and that beautiful auburn hair kept in high twin ponytails that seemed to tickle her thighs as she walked— shit! It was happening again! He shook his head, chanting '_I will not think of my best friend like that. I will not think of Sakuno like that. I will not think of Sa-chan like that. I will not—_'

"Oi, Echizen! What was that all about?"

"Nya, ochibi's face is all red!"

Echizen paled as Momoshiro and Kikumaru glomped him. He hadn't realized they'd been watching.

"Saa, it seems our little kouhai has a crush on our coach's granddaughter. What's your take on the situation, Inui?"

"Echizen was curious about what Ryuuzaki-san told Tezuka. She wouldn't tell him, so he followed her until she pointed out that he can't follow her into the girls' club room. It seems that she may have also provoked and triggered his current state."

"What are you talking about? I didn't provoke or trigger anything," Sakuno replied, exiting the club room in her Regular's uniform. It differed a bit from the boys' uniform. It was a sleeveless collared sports dress with red and blue stripes running down the sides, the collar, and the hem of the skirt. It wasn't too short, but it still gave guys a reason to stare. The jersey was just slimmer for the girls. "Anyway, shouldn't you all get to practice? Kaidoh-sempai looks like he's going to murder someone if you don't start soon." Sakuno jogged off to join her team, which was doing accuracy exercises. Momoshiro waved off Sakuno's warning, but nonetheless trailed Fuji and Inui back to the courts with Echizen in tow.

"Hoi, ochibi, since when did you call Ryuuzaki-chan 'Sa-chan'?

"I've never heard him call her that before, sempai."

"There's something going on that Echizen's not telling us, but I'm sure Inui can shed some light on this."

"I can. In eighth grade, Echizen and Ryuuzaki-san had the exact same class. Ryuuzaki-san took the opportunity to get to know him as a friend. Eventually, Echizen grew a heart and began to communicate back. Over time, they became more comfortable around one another, nurtured their friendship, and became best friends. However, this past spring, Ryuuzaki-san's mother returned. Ryuuzaki-san invited Echizen and his family to the celebratory dinner. Echizen noticed that Ryuuzaki-san was all dressed up, but for the sake of his dignity, I'll leave the rest to your imaginations."

Echizen shuddered. _I'd rather you didn't tell them that, Inui-sempai, now who knows what they could be thinki—_

"Oi, Echizen, you didn't _do_ anything to her, did you?"

"Saa, that's quite unbecoming, Echizen. I expected more from you."

To them, this was great fun. He knew they'd be thinking of the most, er, explicit fantasies (for lack of a better word), but they knew turn that saying these things out loud would have priceless results. And so they did. All the blood seemed to have drained out his face, then crashed back in with the force of a tsunami.

"Sempai-tachi are really stupid. I did nothing of that sort."

"Ne, ochibi's right—they were only, what? Fourteen, fifteen? The worst he could've done was check her out and think 'she's hot', nya. ...hoi, ochibi, did you? Did you?"

Echizen attempted to regain his composure as his sempai-tachi bothered him endlessly, wanting details. Did he think she was hot? Did he like her? Did they kiss yet?

"Hey, stop harrassing Echizen and get back to practicing!" Oishi ordered, taking notice of the commotion. However, he was curious now, too. As were Kawamura and, surprisingly, Kaidoh.

"Oishi-mama, how do you know that we're harrassing ochibi-chan here?"

"Well," Kawamura countered, "a normally almost Tezuka-level-stoic fifteen-year-old waddles into the courts making poor attempts to hide his blushing. Combined with the fact that you and Momo are practically strangling him and poking questions at him, anyone can tell you're harrassing him."

"Maa, we should give Echizen a break. He looks like he could be a firetruck."

"Demo, sempai-tachi! Echizen has to answer the question first, then we'll leave him alone. So, Echizen, do you like Ryuuzaki-chan?"

"..." Echizen stalked off to the courts and began challenging the Fudomine players, seemingly at random.

"The probability of Kaidoh having a comment is one-hundred percent..."

"Fsshhh... people do say that in cases like this, 'silence is denial'." He went to join Echizen in threatening people to a match, leaving the six remaining players in a state of shock. Five of them turned to stare at one person in particular.

"...though the result of that comment relating to Echizen's denial was... rikutsu janai."

Luckily, they all no longer had a reason to gawk, threaten, or refuse match demands. Tezuka-buchou had returned, but with a somewhat more disturbed expression than his usual blank rock face. Echizen's ears perked up as even the girls' tennis team gathered. He would finally get the answer to the question that had been perturbing him so much. But even Yanagi of Rikkaidai wouldn't have been able to predict Tezuka's next words.

"We're no longer playing tennis."

* * *

So, how was the first chapter? Too long? Too short? Too rushed? Tell me what _you_ think by leaving a review!

I put Sakuno's parents in because I'm kinda tired of reading those stories where, _"Oh, they died. Oh, they got murdered. Oh, they got attacked by a Beiber."_

_Translations:  
_**-kouchou: **The honorific for the Principal of a school.  
**kouhai: **Underclassmen. The opposite of sempai.  
**Rikutsu janai: **Sort of Inui's catchphrase. It means, "That's/It's illogical."


	2. Tezuka's Dismay

**CHARNA'S GUTS THIS IS SO LATE.**

**I'm having trouble finding time to write out all the stories that have lovingly LODGED themselves in my brain and refuse to leave, so yeah, blame life, if you must.**

**Just a note to those who think Ryoma and Sakuno's relationship is progressing too fast: it's really not. I explained that before the start of this story, they had become best friends and had been so for two years. This is their norm, but since they just entered high school (best friends in 8th and 9th grade, their high school year starts 10th grade) the other Regulars don't know this yet. Except for Inui.**

**In any case, I hope you guys like this chapter, too! I'll try to keep the next updates more constant than nine months. :D (Oh gosh, I just realized, I've put this off for about as long as preggers ladies carry babies in their bellies. Well, congrats to the new mommies, I guess.)**

* * *

Tezuka Kunimitsu couldn't believe his current standings. There, the stoic and stern buchou of the champions Seishun Gakuen Boys' Tennis Team. The very same buchou who was smiling gently, though it was forced. The same buchou who had a girl he wasn't particularly disinterested in wrapped in his tender embrace, and it _wasn't _forced.

It was completely against his being! Close contact with a person considered neither friend nor family, showing emotions openly towards others, _smiling..._

He wondered vaguely if being a boyfriend in real life took less effort.

* * *

It all started when Ryuuzaki Sakuno had told him he was wanted in the conference room. Ryuuzaki-sensei walked with him to the meeting place, silent with a smirk on her face. Something was up. And it was bad news for him.

"Sensei, why—"

"Save it for the conference, because I'm not telling you, Tezuka."

The buchou nodded in response. He glared straight ahead; what awaited him behind those doors? The sliding door opened upon his approach and he was pulled in before he could wonder any further.

"Tezuka-san!" an over-eager Ryuuzaki-kouchou called to him. "Here—draw a lot from the box. But don't look at the paper, okay? Or else it'll ruin the plan."

He did as he was told without hesitation. What was all this about secrecy for the 'plans'? His curiosity was almost winning out. As soon as he had plucked a folded slip, he was quickly ushered to a seat next to Ciecherelle de Luca. She was the buchou of the champions Seishun Gakuen Girls' Tennis Team, and the puzzled look on the Italian girl's face made it evident that she nor the other various club leaders gathered had the slightest clue as to what was going on.

"NOW THEN!" Ryuuzaki-kouchou exclaimed, slamming the now-empty box on the floor, effectively startling everyone. Even the club supervisors, lined up against the whiteboard behind her, jumped a bit. Tezuka quickly regained his composure and made it seem as though he was only adjusting his glasses.

"Tezuka-san, there's no need to pretend you weren't startled. I'm the principal, therefore I know only Inui-san or Sakuno could have predicted that movement and not be affected. Anyway, let's move on to the topic of as to why I gathered you all.

"As of late, the students here at Seigaku haven't been interacting much with those outside their club of choice. When they do interact, however, there is no respect for either party _from_ either party. They need to relearn their social skills in treating people kindly; even _I've_ noticed that _Echizen Ryoma_ has no problem with doing this, even if with just one specific person. Nonetheless, he is better off than the rest of you. Now, the only sure way to have more student intercommunication is to have you all in a participation-mandatory activity. And what better activity than your club activity? If there is no cooperation from any one member, they are discharged from your group. The same works for this plan. The only exception is the whole of the student council; they have made various efforts to fix this problem of social skills many times, even with all the equipment demands from the clubs, classrooms, and students. The student council will have leisurely rest in place of their normal activity period. If anyone has any objections to this, speak now."

Ciecherelle timidly raised her hand. Ryuuzaki-kouchou raised an eyebrow, but allowed her to speak.

"Uhm, this isn't exactly an objection per se, but I was wondering. If you take the student council out of this plan of yours, what are you going to do about their absence?"

Ryuuzaki-kouchou smiled boisterously. "I see what you're thinking, but first, we should explain what's happening to the other club leaders. They look hopelessly lost, and yes, that does include you, Ishida-san(1)."

Tezuka shifted to readjust his glasses.

"In any case, we won't get anywhere fast by using flowery words and pretty phrases, so I'll tell you straight. We're going to switch club activities. Now, before you voice any objections, I would like to point out that _all_ of you have attended the final competitive event for your regular club activities, and _all_ of you have come out on top. I know you would all still enjoy carrying on in your normal interests, so I've taken the liberty of reworking all the schedules in order to let you continue with that. To answer de Luca-san's question, the boys' and girls' tennis clubs will be split. Group A will have half the boys' team and half the girls' team. Group B will have the remaining halves. The papers I had you draw earlier contain the club whose activities you will be overtaking. There is to be no discussion right now for the sake of time. Tezuka-san and de Luca-san, please take these sheets. After you tell _your _team the news, ask them to please sign up under the club they desire. Be sure that no club goes over its capacity limit. Any names left over will automatically be transferred to any available spot, whether they like it or not. I've included the Fudomine kids in the rosters, so there's room for them, too.

"Two last things before I turn you all loose. One: if at a later time, the club you're taking over issues you a challenge, you must accept. Period. Two: if anyone objects to this plan or refuses to participate, please notify them that the penalty is permanent removal from their original club. Goodbye now!"

Without a chance to question anything, all the club leaders unfolded their slips, save for Tezuka. He saw no use in wasting time getting back to the courts by gawking at a piece of paper. Halfway down the staircase leading to the first floor, he unfurled the lot and read the words. His eyes widened in shock; there was no one to hide his surprise from. But how had his luck been so terrible? Picking the one thing that contradicted nearly every fiber of his being was _not _a good sign.

He made his way to the courts and saw many things that were worth laps in return. Echizen and Kaidoh were apparently forcing the guests in the tennis courts to matches. Inui was, yet again, scritching away in that odd form of a stalker's guide instead of informing the others where they needed to improve their skills. Fuji, Oishi, Kikumaru, Kawamura, and Momoshiro were undoubtedly... _gossiping_. GOSSIPING. Like young teenage girls, or old and bitter widows with nothing left but to run their mouths. How had they managed to become the champions Seigaku if all they did was anything _but_ practicing? He almost lost it.

_Almost_.

He heard Ciecherelle's footsteps behind him, and all the tennis players gathered.

"We're no longer playing tennis," he stated blandly. The crowd was about to blow their tops off, but he beat them to the punch. "Ryuuzaki-kouchou's orders. Do _not_ object; the penalty is permanent removal from the club. We're switching clubs, but due to circumstances, there are two clubs for all of you to choose from. Please note that the new club sign-ups are first come, first serve. We did not choose these clubs knowing what they were, so forgive any inconveniences there may be. De Luca-san, please reveal your club to them."

"Student Courtroom," she said, holding up the slip for then to see. "And yours, Tezuka-san?"

He held up his paper as well. "...drama."

* * *

Tezuka massaged his temples, thanking Kami-sama that the morning was finally over and done with. He picked at the contents of his bento, the proceedings of earlier that day making his stomach slightly uneasy. All of it was well burned into his memory by force.

After he announced what club he had drawn, two point thirty-eight seconds of silence followed, according to Inui. Then, it was hell unleashed as both boys and girls scrambled and dashed madly to sign up for Student Courtroom. Well, it was understandable. At their tender ages, the only thing they were sure of was the fact that they liked to have arguments to prove a point. It was perfect; arguing for a grade! The only thing that surpassed their love of arguing was the Siren's call that was tennis. Drama was different; not only did you have to move or talk, but both at the same time. Sure, there was always an audience in tennis, court, and drama, but it differed greatly. Tennis didn't require talking, court didn't require movement, and drama required both in a set format to be memorized. And if they had to act, how were they supposed to convince the audience if they, as teens, were unsure of themselves? Therefore, the lot of them wanted in on Student Courtroom. The stoic buchou had nearly been mowed over in order for the feral beings to obtain those freaking sign-up sheets. He had gotten away, as expected, but not without a scratch.

A freshman had jump-kicked his stomach, leaving a dusty footprint on his once-crisp and white Regulars' uniform. A certain Regular, hyped up by all the sudden liveliness, pounced over his buchou's shoulder to get to the sheets, accidentally slamming his elbow into Tezuka's face, knocking his glasses off. As Tezuka attempted to bend down and retrieve them, another person had grabbed the jersey sleeve of the arm that held the sheets. They handled his arm roughly, dragging the sleeve over his right arm and leaving his jersey half-on as they threw him down to wrestle whomever had snatched the sheets. Various others trampled over him and stumbled to reach the sheets, somehow removing his left tennis shoe in the process. He looked up and found the rest of the Regulars circling him, helping him up, making certain that he was fine, and fixing his appearance.

That is, _half_ the Regulars were doing so.

To drive the stampede away from their buchou, Momoshiro, Kikumaru, and Echizen had wadded up the pieces of paper and began to hit them around with their rackets. Kawamura, in Burning Mode, was preventing any of the other club members from interfering with their game. Echizen leisurely strolled up and handed Tezuka some disheveled papers with markings of various colors on them. It couldn't be... the _real_ sign-up sheets? Quickly, he smoothed them out and held them to his face—where had his glasses gone? Oishi seemed to notice his dilemma and spoke.

"_Muri da, _Tezuka," Oishi said. "They've already completely gotten the Student Courtroom list."

Great. Just his luck. The only things he could do well in front of an audience were show up his classmates in academics, play tennis, and order laps while looking awesome. Now he had to go to Drama with eighteen other unlucky players. Unless his hunches were correct...

"Sempai, whose names are already on the Drama sheet?" Echizen pointed out.

"Fssshhhh... it's Fuji-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai."

The first bell rang out, signaling that all students at Seigaku High had five minutes to halt club activities and get to class.

"Saa, I thought it would be fun to see those _kawaii_ girls in the audience from a new height."

Kikumaru jogged up and started pestering Tezuka for the sign-up sheets. Momoshiro and Kawamura followed after.

"The probability that Kikumaru thought it would be fun to play a brave prince in Drama and joined according to that reasoning is ninety-seven point one percent." At this, Oishi slapped his forehead and sighed wearily.

"What's wrong with that, Oishi?" Kawamura inquired.

"Eiji-sempai, _dame ya, dame yo. _The play for Drama hasn't been picked out yet."

"Ehhhhh? I won't get to play a prince, then?"

"_Mada mada dane_, sempai." Echizen turned and left to change.

"Then besides me, who else is left with Drama?" Tezuka asked coldly. It wasn't his day, and the days he was stuck in Drama obviously were never going to be his days, either.

"Of the nineteen slots," Inui reported, "Fuji and Kikumaru have occupied two. That leaves seventeen others who are as follows: Tezuka, Kawamura, Oishi, myself, Katou Kachirou, Katsuo Mizuno, Horio Satoshi, Momoshiro, Kaidoh, and seven Fudomine players. Ah, as well as Echizen Ryoma."

At the mention of the Prince's name, Fuji's blue eyes snapped wide open. He had a hunch as to why their precious _kouhai_ hadn't used his inhuman speed to sign up for Student Courtroom. He turned to the girls' buchou and told her they'd handle the delivery of the papers. Scanning the sheets harshly, he came upon what he was looking for. Her name wasn't under Student Courtroom, but printed neatly under Drama. So _this_ was the reason... Though Echizen still wasn't humble enough to willingly write his name under Drama. Smiling slyly, he lidded his eyes and handed the papers to Tezuka, who hadn't located his glasses yet.

"We should probably get going," suggested Inui. "We've got two minutes, forty-two seconds until we're late for class."

* * *

Tezuka hadn't yet located his glasses, even at after-school tennis practice. He relished the training; come Monday, there would be no swinging, no matches, and certainly no punishment laps. He wasn't exactly sure what the Drama equivalent of his penalty was, but it was bound to be less than adequate. Attempting to forget the glasses—deemed a lost cause—he focused on what Fuji seemed to realize before handing him the sign-up sheets. He tried to recall what they looked like, but the loss of his glasses prevented him from seeing what had been plain as day on this papers.

When the time came for practice to end and for the members of the tennis team to return home, he found himself massaging his temples. Gone were the days where he had absolute control over the situation at hand. Now, his fate lay in the hands of just that.

Fate.

He pondered on the subject before his mind wandered elsewhere. He recalled another instance in which the usual peace he worked so tirelessly to maintain was slightly off-put—namely, the rookie of the team, the Pillar of Seishun. Though he chose not to say anything on the matter, it was clear that he had seen it with his own eyes prior to the loss of his glasses. Echizen Ryoma had undoubtedly been glancing at the girls' side courts, training his gaze on a certain russet-haired girl. Faintly recollecting the demonic aura freely flowing from the Tensai, he pieced together a simple speculation with the evidence he had.

There was something going on between those two first-years that they didn't have knowledge of, and Echizen was going to try and push it further by using the Drama switch to his full advantage.

* * *

**...and I bet you all can guess where Ryoma's going with the Drama switch. He's just so impulsive he's predictable.**

**I bet I lost a lot of readers (not like I had a lot to begin with) due to the lack of updates, but I'm doing what I can! I'll try harder to write and update this story when I can! (But I'm dying right now because my grades are slipping from As to Bs...)**

**(1) She's talking to Tezuka, not one of the other kids. It's a pun on the last name, since separately "ishi da" means "it's a rock". (I'm super lame, I know...)**

**~Randomness  
**


	3. Kikumaru's Plan

**SHAZAM! An update due to motivation and inspiration by wendydarling29! (Huge thanks to you, person-face!:)**

**Also, quick warning. I only planned the story until last chapter, so...**

**I don't know where this story's going in the middle, but I know the destination! (Like a detour from hell.)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

Kikumaru Eiji didn't think his little plan would backfire _this _much—it had only been a simple trick, after all. Nothing to worry about. No problem. Right? Oh, how wrong his predictions were. Who was he kidding? He wasn't Inui, whose calculations were spot-on and took into consideration every possibility. No. His little slip caused a _huge _emotional train wreck in not only his best friend's life, but also the life of an innocent girl who happened to be a passerby.

Then why, Kami-sama forbid, was he still so pleased with the outcome? It was a far cry from where he was aiming to land, but it was oddly a pleasant experience. And not in any way did he feel a shred of guilt. Who would've thought?

And all he wanted was to be some girl's Prince Charming.

* * *

When he heard about the club switch with Drama, he thought it was absolutely brilliant. The boys' and girls' tennis teams had just finished stealing the Nationals titles from Rikkai Dai (again) and Seigaku's elite were undergoing intense training for a mock rematch with the Regionals' first-round contenders. (Like it wasn't already too easy to beat them the first time. Even that annoying freshman Horio stood a good chance.)

So the Acrobat was overall grateful for Ryuuzaki-chan's mom and her clever mind; a full six months of acting lessons without punishment laps and Inui's horrendous concoctions? Those words gave his entire body a euphoric feeling as he daydreamed about all the possibilities for new adventures in his last year of high school. This was going to be especially fun since he—as well as his fellow Seniors—learned that his two favorite kouhai in the entire world had been hiding their sudden blossoming best-friendship from their beloved sempai-tachi. (Well, they hadn't exactly been hiding it, but it wouldn't have killed them to tell their beloved sempai-tachi in person, right?)

And on he went, ignoring old lady Ryuuzaki's math lecture and staring out the window, formulating a plan to get back at Ochibi for keeping secrets. Per usual, his mind turned a bit and started to lead his thought process in a different direction. If Ochibi was going to use the club switch to his advantage and boost his relationship with Ryuuzaki-chan (because it was so blatantly obvious that he was going to do it no matter what anyone else thought), then there were two options as to the actions they followed up with.

One: Do what they normally do and "help" their little Prince win over his Princess, or...

Two: In an effort to test how truly, madly, _deeply_ in love with Sakuno he was, _sa__botage everything._

Eiji snapped out of his trance as the lunch bell rang, signaling that he was free to find fellow conspirators with whom he could forcibly build the detour from hell into fate's design.

"Hoi, Fujiko, listen! It's about Ochibi and Hime-chan!"

"Hmm? And pray tell, what do you have in mind for Ryoma and Sakuno-chan?"

"Well, I was thinking..."

* * *

This was perfect. Almost _too_ perfect. Eiji glanced at the sky for some phenomenal answer to reveal itself. When nothing was answered, he turned and shot questioning looks at his teammates.

Lunch was still in progress for the Regulars sans one Echizen Ryoma. They had all gathered at the rooftop overlooking the tennis courts for a (more or less) singular reason:

Spying.

From their perch atop the school grounds, they overlooked the tennis courts and its surrounding areas, namely the Gardening Club's pride and joy. The grove of sakura trees proved a useful meeting place for best friends and lovers alike, and under which category the Prince and his Princess fell under was not clear. They chose refuge under the tree farthest from the tennis courts, far from any familiar wandering eyes that lingered at the practice area. It almost made Eiji laugh to know how futile their attempts were to the nosiest of their sempai-tachi. The two freshman had set out a silver-and-red plaid mat to sit on as they consumed their _bento_. The sakura trees swayed in the serene springtime breeze, flourishing those in the grove with velveteen blush.

"Hoi, hoi, Momo! Come look! Ochibi looks so smug!" Eiji beckoned to the Dunk Specialist. He leaned against the chain-link fence, squinting against the sun.

"Heh," Momoshiro marveled. "I didn't know Echizen could smile without taunting people."

A low whistle joined their doubts. "Saa, perhaps it's because he's gained experience being softer from the two years he was with Sakuno-chan. Without our inference, of course."

Momoshiro responded with a snort. "Sly bastard. No wonder he was more distant when I was a third year."

"At least he didn't let his guard down, Momoshiro," Tezuka chided. "If you had done the same, you'd have learned of his friendship with Ryuuzaki-san."

The second year scowled and mumbled something unintelligible. "What was that?" Oishi asked out of simple curiosity.

"He said," Inui adjusted his glasses, "'Buchou, if you did the opposite, you'd more than likely be where Echizen is—in a relationship.'"

Gales of laughter were carried off by the breeze, heard clear as crystal by students down below the rooftops. Recognition of the voices' owners caused one certain freshman to pinpoint their location. Glancing up, he sighed and chuckled to himself as he recognized the silhouettes that stared at him in return.

"Sa-chan," he prompted. Long curls of auburn drifted to his cheeks, riding a soft, vanilla-scented gust of wind. Ryoma closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the aroma combine with the warmth of the sun's rays.

When he reopened his eyes, Sakuno was setting afresh can of grape ponta, unopened and chilled, next to his _bento_. She smiled as he registered the lunch, a simple lunch of steamed rice and fried shrimp accompanied by a rather cute piece of strawberry shortcake. He met her gaze in a silent _thanks_ and an understanding smile.

"You changed your shampoo again. Why?" he queried. Ryoma picked up the _bento_ Sakuno had made for him and began to eat. Sakuno sighed and settled her chocolate eyes on the sakura petals floating around them. He sipped some ponta.

"Just relax, Sa-chan. Nothing bad is going to happen while this switch is going on. It's not going to be like last time." Their meal was finished in silence. Once done, the Prince scooted closer and wrapped his arms around his best friend in a comforting and possessive manner. "I promise." Sakuno heaved another sigh.

"I know, Ryoma-kun, but it's just... Vanilla _is_ known to soothe and calm people aromatically. It still comforts me when you're not with me." She hugged back, jolting with a start when a loud, unexplained noise rang through the air.

"Sempai-tachi are watching us," Ryoma whispered. "Should we finish and leave?" Sakuno smiled sardonically and shook her head. Ryoma smirked in response. "I know that smile. What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking," Sakuno explained, clearing up the empty _bentos_, "that if they're looking for something, we should help them. Play along, okay?"

The coach's granddaughter brushed herself off as she stood, signaling for Ryoma to do the same. He glimpsed up at the rooftops briefly, almost apologetically.

"You don't know Sa-chan like I do. Brace yourselves in for a _long, _wild ride, gentlemen."

* * *

Kikumaru Eiji spent the rest of the day in a blinded stupor, unable—but mostly unwilling—to believe what he had witnessed at lunch.

While the others polished off their meals, they joined him, Momo, and Fujiko at the chain link fence, one by one, gawking at their _kouhai_ for any unusual activity. The Princess and the Prince exchanged some words, then ate their food without any more conversation. They'd grown quite bored, staring at the tense atmosphere, when the Prince hugged her! Out of the blue! Momo and Eiji yelped in surprise. Their Ryoma, who couldn't go more than one day without ignoring affection from others, initiated a seemingly quite intimate embrace with his coach's granddaughter! It was unprecedented, even for the oddities that occurred in and around the tennis club.

That's where things went downhill for them.

After a bit, the Princess left the premises of the silver-red mat and the Prince followed suit. They assumed the two freshmen would pack their things and leave, but instead Ochibi had hauled himself up into the boughs of the sakura tree farthest from the Regulars' (not-so-)secret hiding spot. He lent a hand to Hime-chan, concerned with her skirt billowing in the wind, and they sat shoulder to shoulder. She was farther up the branch than he was, to which he reacted by lying down in her lap, her slender fingers weaving gently into his dark green-black hair. Ochibi amused himself with her hair as well, sliding his hands through from her roots to the tips, bringing each strand of copper russet to his mouth and planting a gossamer kiss.

When this appeared to not satisfy him (though for the Regulars, it was altogether terrifyingly sweet), he brought his hand again to the roots of her hair, this time with a tender grasp. Once he had purchase, he shepherded her face lower and lower.

"He's not really going to, right?" panicked Momo. Eiji faced him. The Dunk Specialist couldn't believe he had missed _this_ for nearly three years. The others looked equally as shocked, if not more.

Kawamura shook his head, "No, I think he's going to... look!"

Had Eiji been a moment later, he would have let the sight slip. _The kiss. _It was obscured because of the way Hime-chan's hair fell in front of hers and Ochibi's faces, but it was confirmed when she shot back up with cheeks ablaze. Ochibi shifted smugly in the Princess' lap, licking his lips almost as an afterthought.

* * *

After school, they were free from extra-curricular activities, as the switch hadn't yet started. Eight pairs of eyes glanced warily around the grounds of the front gate. Ochibi nonchalantly sauntered out of the main building and straight towards a sakura tree, obviously waiting for _his girlfriend. _As Sakuno emerged from the main building, Ryoma greeted her by hugged her tightly, and he was embraced in return. Simultaneous remembrance of lunchtime's highlights replayed in their minds. Over. And over.

Frozen in place, the six Seniors and two Juniors gawked in incredulity. That conversation-turned-hug-turned-kiss had been _a lot_ to take in, and in the span of ten minutes, no less. Had they really failed to recognize that their _kouhais'_ relationship had gotten so far without their knowledge? Rigidly, they each turned away from the two cheerfully conversing Freshmen.

"Well, Echizen _certainly_ has made progress. Far more than I imagined," Fujiko commented.

Inui readjusted his glasses, the lenses of which had cracked during lunch in the process of trying to press his face against the fence to get a closer view. "The events that occurred then render all the data I have previously collected on the relationship of those two utterly and completely _useless_. _ZETTAI rikutsu janai..._"

_"Mattaku..." _Oishi sighed. "You'd think that even the smallest bit of information about _this_ would have reached us."

"If they act like this _now,_ how long have they been... you know, _going out_?" Kawamura added.

"Ffffssssssshhhhhhhhhh..." Kaidoh hissed. He didn't want to think about it any more than he had to. Private affairs were private for a reason.

Momo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I hate to admit, but I think he's gotten farther along than _any _of us... Buchou, you could catch up easily if you'd just let you guard down—"

"_Never_," Tezuka shot back. "Even if it's required during this... _Drama period_."

Eiji slumped over Oishi's shoulder, training his eyes on the young couple. "The worst part is," the Acrobat exhaled dejectedly, "that _we're _supposed to somehow evaluate how bad they've got it for each other by _wrecking everything _for them. We can't do that to them! They're so happy together! Ochibi's never been so... un-smirk-y!"

The Regulars pondered this over in their heads. Fujiko revealed electric blue orbs, recollecting everything he could about the situation at hand. _There, _he thought. _That's it!_

"I got it!" he offered. "I propose we sit back and do nothing."

Eiji slapped the back of his head. "There's something wrong with Fujiko, nya! He's not meddling!" Oishi rushed to hold the cat-boy back, but the Tensai was far too concerned with his plan to exact revenge.

"If they're _really _going out, then they act like this all the time. If they're not, they can't keep it up forever. All _we _have to do is set them up. _Saa,_ who's in?"

"That's not what I suggested at first," Eiji pouted, holding his chin in a thoughtful pose, "but I think it'll work, if we all pitch in! But what should Buchou do? He's not really any help..."

Momo grinned stupidly. "Buchou's mission is to let his guard down and find a girlfriend!"

Tezuka narrowed his eyes at the Dunk Specialist. "You can't force me to."

Oishi furrowed his brows, answering, "True. _But_, if we can get someone in the Drama Club to tell you that, you HAVE to do it or you're off the team."

"You wouldn't."

Kaidoh hissed. "Then apparently, you don't know them, Buchou. They'll make it happen somehow."

The stoic buchou glowered at the lot. "When this is over, five hundred laps. _All_ of you." He trekked away in good speed, leaving snickers in his wake. When he was well enough away, Oishi turned to Momo with a dead expression.

"If this doesn't work, _you_ are a dead man."

On that note, the rest of the Regulars parted ways. Unbeknownst to them, a crucial part of their future endeavors had heard every word.

* * *

**And that's it for now. Kind of a suckish ending. I couldn't find a way to end it well. :/**

**What were Ryoma and Sakuno talking about, I wonder? And who was eavesdropping on the Regulars' conversation?**

**More importantly, what are they going to do to the Prince and his Princess?**

**You'll have to wait 'cuz I'm not telling you guys. :]**

**~Randomness  
**


	4. Twisting Arms

**So here's the next chapter, and the fifth shouldn't be too far behind. I stayed up to keep working on these two because I realized:  
Holy snap, it's a Leap Year, which means Fuji has a birthday coming up!  
I wanted to update twice just to get his POV chapter out on his birthday. I'm weird like that.**

**Anywho, enjoy! This is also the debut of a very important OC who is based off a fellow TeniPuri fangirl. I actually promised her this story as a birthday present... two years ago. :D**

* * *

Echizen Ryoma felt horrible. Shock and guilt mingled, stealing away his breath in collaboration with her tears. Their surroundings were very surreal, seeming to shift in oscillating waves or fade away entirely. She turned and walked away from him, breaking into a sprint when sobs began to wrack her tiny frame. His hand stretched out to reach her, but he remembered _why_ she'd been crying in the first place.

_Because of him_.

The entire thing was as planned. He told her the truth, and in turn her tears washed away the weight of the guilt. It was as planned.

He could only assume the pain he felt in his chest for her was planned as well.

* * *

"Sa-chan!" he called out to her. School had ended, and his nosy sempai-tachi weren't in earshot, though he couldn't do much about their prying eyes. He stood up from the sakura tree he had been leaning against and greeted her with open arms. She smiled and returned his embrace.

"Sempai-tachi fell for it. I'm pretty sure they think we're going out." He gripped her shoulders and grinned at her in a self-satisfied and amused manner. She smirked back in skepticism and let her fingers slink through his; they were, after all, a 'couple'.

"And what makes you say that?" They headed towards the gate leading to their homes. The Prince chuckled and pointed forward.

"_That _makes me say so."

She swiveled her head in time to catch the sempai-tachi scrambling from their hiding spot, which made her beam at the hilarity and confusion she and her best friend caused and had yet to create. Ryoma sighed contently, swinging their arms back and forth, bringing attention from the rest of their peers to them. Sakuno's cheeks flushed and she tucked her head into his shoulder.

"Ryoma-kun, what are you doing? Everyone's staring at us!" she muttered to him. The corners of his mouth curled upwards and he bent his head towards her ear.

"That's what I intended for them to do, love."

With that he snuck a fleeting kiss on her cheek, which was left red, skin tingling at his breath. Their audience gaped at the open display of affection between the fake-but-very-convincing couple. The air filled with the Prince's laughter, transforming his Princess' blush from a deepening embarrassment to an endearing hue of bashfulness. Spectators looked on as they strode away, hand in hand.

* * *

When they were quite a ways from any eavesdroppers that might have lingered, he dared ask the question that loitered in his mind.

"Ne, Sa-chan, how'd you come up with that idea anyway? The fake-kiss thing that looked real. You barely had time to think about anything, and yet you came up with a beyond brilliant plan!" He didn't dare mention that he wished it had actually happened.

The smile on her face faded to a sour expression, and noticing this he became concerned. "Sa-chan...?"

She gave him a melancholy twitch of a grin before answering, "...it was originally a prank we used to pull together." Her voice had begun to waver. "It's still hard... to forget hi—"

"I KNOW!" Ryoma shouted. Sakuno withdrew her hand from his, startled and on the verge of tears. They'd stopped in their path. He turned away from her, unable to look her in the eyes. The sadness that _that bastard_ caused her made him sick, and she knew very damn well that he couldn't stand her tears. "I know."

Soundlessly, they trekked the streets until they came to the crossroads where they separated, him to the left, her to the right. Ryoma came to a halt some paces in front of Sakuno, and she stopped as well. She racked her brain for something to say—it was wrong of her to bring up a taboo subject in front of her best friend, but she chose to do so anyway. What had she been trying to prove? If it was to show that she could care less about _that jerk_, her plan certainly failed spectacularly, almost-tears and a wavering voice as solid evidence. Her mouth opened and closed, unsure of what words would come out in the end.

It wasn't that he still wouldn't look at her; he _couldn't_ look at her was a more accurate depiction. What the _hell_ had be been thinking, yelling at her like a crazed schizophrenic? He'd scared her off from holding hands, and _that _had been the most contact (or _romantic progress_, for that matter) he'd had with her since the summer her heart had been shattered enough to skew her ability to show her affections or even develop them. Ryoma swore he'd have tried to commit _seppuku _right in the middle of the street if the opportunity posed itself. Too late—he was out of time. They had reached the place where they separated different ways, and he had done absolutely nothing to recover from his blunder a short while ago.

_Great job, you moron, _he chided himself. _You screamed at her _and_ did__n't do a damn thing to make her stop crying. How the hell are you supposed to win her over for real if you can't even keep her your best friend first?_

Ryoma sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about a way to properly apologize to Sakuno before time ran out—_again—_and the situation got _really _awkward. Sick of standing like a fool, he turned to her and grabbed her wrist.

"Ryoma-kun!" she called, but he didn't answer. Instead, he led her down the path that lay straight ahead of them, going neither left nor right. They hastily made their way past homes, streets, and eventually business-like buildings she didn't recognize. That is, until she began to see faces she recognized from her school setting.

Ryoma sped-walked into the part of town that was popular for after-school shopping and snacking.

In an attempt to decelerate her best friend's unrelenting speed, she skipped in her step and leaned into his hand. This inevitably pushed their palms together, letting Sakuno grip his hand de rigueur for couples. She grinned to herself when he slowed down and his ears had reverted back to the lovely shade of red they had been when their noses had brushed in the sakura tree. Her actions, however, did little in the way of helping her learn of his destination.

In lieu of asking, she simply let him lead the way.

* * *

_Oh god__, what the hell was I thinking? _Ryoma snapped at himself. _What the hell was I trying to prove? I have to do something or I'll screw things up more than I already have!_

It was extremely unlike him to agonize over something so trivial, but it was also unlike him to break his stoic, passive façade. It was difficult to concentrate when his long-time crush slipped her dainty hand into his. As he continued his way into town, it recurred to him that there was a new pastry-slash-ice cream parlor around the area—Sakuno had been talking about it that same morning.

_Well, why not? It's not like I had anything in mind. Universe, please help me out this once and make sure nothing goes wrong today.  
_

They neared the shop he had marked as his goal, only to pick up speed again when he noticed curled red hair and a spiky black up-do exiting a burger joint across the street.

_Of _course_ they had to be here. Thanks so much, Universe, _he noted sardonically. Ignoring Sakuno's pleas to stop sprinting and inform her whatever was the matter, he shove past some passersby with a muttered 'sorry'. They didn't seem to mind; young couples were always in a rush to get one place or another, weren't they? The comments didn't go unnoticed—both boy and girl felt the heat rise to their cheeks enough to cause them to duck their heads. Ryoma shoved his way through the rather crowded sidewalks and into the pristine new parlor.

They both doubled over to catch their breaths, shortly after approached by a familiar face.

"Sakuno-chan? What are you doing here? Oh, and Ryoma-san, too!" By his peripheral vision, Ryoma saw a small smile grace her face.

_Good, _he thought. _You look beautiful when you smile. ...not that I'd ever tell her that._

They straightened up and Sakuno greeted the third party with a hug. "Tomoka-chan! It's good to see you!"

In a few minutes, the two tennis players had been seated in a booth by a window overlooking the street corner. Ryoma groaned inwardly; it wasn't the best place to be seated at, knowing that both Eiji-sempai and Momo-sempai were roaming around in that part of town, but he held his tongue. The last thing he needed—besides an intrusion from his nosy sempai-tachi—was for Sakuno to think something was up. He settled instead for making small talk with his best friend and her best girlfriend while their orders were being taken care of. Sakuno peered curiously over Tomoka's shoulder several times during the conversation. Ryoma followed suit, wondering what was there. He prayed desperately to the Universe that it wasn't some of his nosy sempai-tachi. In contrast, he was able to pick out a girl wearing a work uniform similar to Osakada's. She had very short blonde hair in an angled bob and mint almond eyes set on staring at them intensely. Truth be told, it was a bit unnerving.

"Tomoka-chan," Sakuno looked at her pigtailed companion, "who's that over there?" Tomoka waved the girl in question over, imitating the Cheshire Cat in a way that seemed humanly impossible.

The blonde girl bowed her head uneasily, and Ryoma wondered vaguely if she was American or not.

"This is Kara-chan. She started working here just before the club switch started. Don't you guys begin Drama after this weekend?"

Sakuno nodded. "Yeah, next Monday. Why don't you take a seat, Kara-chan?"

Kara silently accepted the offer and continued to look between Sakuno and Ryoma without a sound. She drew a breath hesitantly before saying something that panicked the 'couple'.

"I know you're not really going out."

Tomoka was dumbfounded, mouth gaping and eyebrow arched in disbelief. Sakuno's and Ryoma's faces paled to an ashen white in unison; how did this girl know they weren't actually an item?

_Why does she know that the one girl I want to be mine doesn't belong to me? _Ryoma queried. He considered bargaining with the Universe to let the girl keep her trap shut and the secret safe by doing something idiotic and completely unrelated. After that thought, he mentally smacked himself—he was losing it, to beg the Universe for any reason was _non compos mentis_, let alone pleading to it on his life three times in a half hour.

"I won't tell anyone, if that's what you two were worried about. That information's not mine to share anyhow." She loosened her posture, slumping over so she leaned on the table propped up on her elbows. Examining her nails in a nonchalant manner, Kara dropped her voice to above a whisper. "Don't look now—seriously, _don't look_—but my nosy nii-chan and his tennis buddies are outside trying to figure out if you two are on a date. I've got some news you might wanna hear, so I'll wait for the right time."

The three others resisted the urge to whiplash their heads 180 degrees and sneak a peek to see who she was talking about. "Who's your older brother? I didn't know you had one," Tomoka prodded her, elbowing her lightly in the ribs.

Kara lay her hands flat on the table and apologized, "Right, sorry. I'm Kara." She smiled at Sakuno and Ryoma warmly in a manner that the two recognized. "Oishi Kara." Ryoma opened his mouth to say something, but was abruptly cut off by a call of:

"Kara, Tomoka, orders up!"

The pair of waitresses rose from the table and went off to do their jobs. "I'll explain in a bit!" Kara mumbled before departing.

* * *

"Aw, that wasn't fair, Momo! You've made me pay for your end of the meal five times in the last two weeks, and you're running my wallet dry, nya!"

The Dunk Specialist pushed the door of his favorite burger joint open and smirked his way into the busy streets. "Too bad, Eiji-sempai! You lost in that contest fair and square." Kikumaru followed him out and stretched. Mid-yawn, he spotted a flash of a russet streak. He scrutinized the possibility that it was in fact a braid belonging to a certain _girlfriend _of a certain_ Ochibi._ Deciding to not linger on the logic too long, he pushed his kouhai's shoulder to get his attention.

"Hoi, hoi, Momo! I think I just saw Sakuno-chan going into that ice cream-pastry place across the way! Maybe she's with Ochibi!"

Momoshiro grinned, catching his drift. "Maybe we'll catch them on a date! Let's go—"

As they rushed forward, a tight grip on the backs of both their collars held them back, causing them to nearly topple over backwards onto the congested sidewalk.

"And _where _do you think you two are going...?" A menacing voice sent shivers down their spines as they faced their suppressor. Darkened green eyes glared at them from behind, accompanied by Seigaku's school uniform and an odd hairstyle that cannot be described but was inexplicably odd and unique.

"H-hey, Oishi-mama, didn't think we'd see you here..." Kikumaru chuckled nervously. Oishi sighed and rolled his eyes, releasing their collars.

"Really though, what was so important that you guys just _had_ to take off like psychopaths for?"

Momoshiro blurted, "We're going to spy on—if not crash—Echizen's and Ryuuzaki-chan's date!" The Acrobat glared at him for ensuring their plans would be shot and sunk to Davey Jones' locker. Oishi weighed the pros and cons in his mind, eventually reaching a verdict.

"Okay."

The other two Regulars stared at him as though he'd said _"Tezuka paraded around school dressed in drag"_. Oishi understood their confusion and followed up with an explanation. "My imouto just started being a waitress there, so I guess we can make it look inconspicuous."

The rascals of the boys' tennis team hi-fived each other, celebrating the rare occasion and feeling their excitement increase. _They were going to crash their favorite kouhai's date!_

"And absolutely NO hitting on my sister!"

* * *

"Here are your orders, and I hope you enjoy them!" Kara chirped, setting the slice of chocolate mousse and what seemed to be a wine glass full of strawberry parfait in front of them. They thanked her and she remained to explain who she was to them.

"Um, my nii-chan really is Oishi Shuichiro... but I guess it doesn't look like it because I'm blonde, huh?"

Sakuno stabbed at the cake with a fork and shoved a piece into her mouth as she nodded. When she finished off what she had in her mouth, she asked Kara, "Why did you bleach your hair?" The waitress shrugged.

"Because I felt like it and I wanna go to America some day. It's nothing too special, really."

Ryoma didn't feel like talking to her—he had something on his mind that he had to tell Sakuno direly, but he didn't want to seem rude or forget what it was he was going to say. Sakuno brushed the matter aside.

"Kara-chan, what school do you go to and what year, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh," the blonde scratched her head sheepishly. "Actually, I transferred to Seigaku about a week ago, but I started as a student officially just today. I'm a Freshman, like you guys. I used to go to St. Rudolph with Yuuta-kun."

Ryoma thought aloud, "That's weird. Oishi-sempai never told us you were coming to our school." Kara grinned before leaving the two to their desserts.

"I didn't tell him—it's a surprise!" They nodded in agreement.

"One last thing," she called over her shoulder, "be careful and watch how close you act. I overheard the other Regulars talking about relationship-stalking you to see if your love is the real deal or not." She waved them good luck and disappeared behind the swinging doors that led to the kitchen.

Ryoma momentarily froze, alarmed that he lost the thought he was trying so desperately _not_ to forget. He scowled through his parts of the cake and parfait, which Sakuno was fully aware of. She worried—was he still peeved that she brought up the past? Nervously, she finished off her share of the sweets and folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for him. When he had devoured his part, he continued to rack his mind for what memory had abandoned him, although the vexed expression on his face persisted.

He caught his best friend glancing at him anxiously and his look softened. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "You look... scared. Or nauseous." _Possibly both, _he noted to himself. Ryoma reminisced to the events prior to their 'date'; they'd met Kara and Tomoka, he saw his sempai-tachi and panicked a bit, and before that she'd been crying since he lost it when she mentioned—

_Oh. Right._ Sakuno had mentioned _him_. His face looked pained for a second, causing Sakuno concern momentarily until he grabbed her by the arm and had her stand up. He tossed a few bills on the table to pay for the food and then looked her in the eye.

Sakuno quivered; the gleam in his eyes was all too familiar, a glint she'd seen too many times to not identify. This was the blaze that lit up when he decided to see something through to the end, be it in tennis or otherwise. What frightened her the most was that it had intensified; there was something else burning in that genius mind of his. A want. A wish. A _desire_.

"I told you that it wouldn't be like last time. No, I _promised _you that it wouldn't be like last time, Sa-chan. And that's a promise I can swear to you I will keep or so help me I will burst into flames and prove spontaneous human combustion possible. And do you know _why, _Sa-chan?" Ryoma spoke firmly, in a brazen tone that was loud and proclamatory, yet soft enough that no outside party could understand their exchange. The words he'd just stated echoed in her ears, ringing out a blatant fact he'd hidden from her thus far. She felt her cheeks blanch in pallor and at the same time metamorphose into a shade of red that made tomatoes look red-orange, both settling on her face in a rosy pink. His face drew nearer to hers, and he stared at her with half-lidded eyes for a brief time before he placed his lips so far and close that the skin of her ear prickled when she felt his mouth brush against it.

_He _liked_ her; he _wanted_ her._

_"Because this time, it'll be me."_

* * *

Oishi ushered the two trouble-makers into the shop where his sister worked part-time. He missed her; she rarely ever visited home since she lived at the dorms with Fuji's younger brother, Yuuta. (She didn't live _with_ him, just in the same general area.) The bell that hung above the doorway chimed, signaling their arrival. He bumped into Momoshiro and Eiji, both of whom had stopped dead in their tracks. He peered over their shoulders, only to be dumbstruck by the event unfolding in front of them.

Echizen had whispered something into Ryuuzaki-chan's ear that obviously embarrassed her, judging by the red blush that applied itself to her cheeks. As though the scene was being played in slow motion, Echizen picked his head up and hesitated when he loomed over her cheek, then sweeping the thought aside.

He instead grazed his lips upon hers, flushing her more towards a definitive magenta. A smile worked its way into the quick kiss, and he simply stated "Remember that" before he made his way for the door—and his sempai-tachi. This time, a smirk composed itself when he saw them; he knew by their facial expressions that they had seen all and played witness to his reminder for Sakuno. He laughed to himself as he shoved past them and exited, the little bell ringing in the wake of his three stupefied teammates and one very flustered target. A blonde waitress emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray, stopping to assess the sight before her. She smiled knowingly and made her way to the new customers.

"Hey, nii-chan. You guys want some food before you catch flies?"

Ryoma was more than content with what he had just achieved; he was pleased with himself and with the way things worked out. One last glance at the shop told him Kara was already working on snapping the four of them out of their trance, as well as the name of the shop. He raised an eyebrow at the latter, since it was an odd name. He smiled again when he thought about how well it fit the the recent events in his life.

_Word of Honor._

* * *

**So the name of this chapter is weird. I only named it that because the 'couple' is twisting everyone's arms by pretending to be a couple, then Ryoma goes and twists them more because of what he's got in store for his new target. XD**

**Also, those of you who read this line:**_  
He _liked_ her; he _wanted_ her._

**Then interpreted it in a different way, you've got dirty minds! He wants her to be his, as in his girlfriend. Gosh beans.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Not counting the AN, it's almost 4 thousand words! Yay. :)**

**~Randomness**


	5. Fuji's Silence

**So! Behold the second part of the update! Lucky you, Fuji, I decided to type my fingers off for six hours so I could update on your birthday. Good for you! ...:D**

**Anyway, sorry if this chapter sucks. I'm not too good with meeting new people, hence why I had trouble writing the main idea for this one.**

* * *

Fuji Shuusuke didn't suspect that he would have fallen in love with his teammate's crush-turning-girlfriend. But he wasn't planning on stealing her away for his own or anything of the sort. That would have been a) wrong, and b) a total tragedy he didn't want to have to deal with. Besides, the infatuation would only last for a short while, right?

He sighed, putting his head in his hands. He never imagined his little brother could be such an asshole, breaking a girl's heart and trying to win her back all of a sudden. It didn't help that the girl whose heart he broke was _also_ a teammate's girl. Heaving another sigh, he leaned back onto the park bench, tilting back so he was facing the indigo dusk and the stars that bloomed as minuscule flowers, greeting the moon with shy luminescence.

Relationships were difficult—putting the ones he meddled with aside—especially when the one young lady he could see as a potential significant other hated his guts so much it made her sick.

* * *

When word of the happenings in _Word of Honor_ (such a tacky name for a pastry-ice cream shop, really) reached him via frantic email, voice mail, calls, and texts, Fuji immediately decided to scout things out for himself—_by himself_ was optimal. Worst case scenario was some loud-mouth—he wouldn't name names—slipped up, gave them away, and earned the lot a heap of trouble and a free trip to hell and back. He worked the gears in his brain to almost overdrive, calculating how to go about unnoticed on his little espionage. A mental note was made to question Inui on how he went about his business ever undetected.

Those thoughts would have to wait until the day was over and done with, however. It was again Monday, one week after the announcement of the club switch, meaning the exchange would be effective starting that same day after school. Since it wasn't a sport, morning gatherings weren't necessary, so he loitered on his path to the school gate. The last of the sakura petals scattered in the light breeze, pushing Fuji along his path.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, sans for the one instance Eiji—who was in the same class—got in trouble for leaping at the window hollering about "Ochibi and Hime-chan! They're out there! I have to seeeeeeeeee!".

When he and Eiji departed after the final bell of the day, they (more or less) speed-walked their way to the Drama room, getting lost on several occasions and once even ending up walking in on some unfortunate students', erm, romantic meeting. When they arrived at the Drama room (finally!) however late, they saw some faces they vaguely recalled seeing in hallways or classrooms, and others that weren't so familiar. The Drama room itself was arranged quite like a classroom, with some desks and loose chairs arranged in no discernible pattern. Those that turned up before them took the liberty of seating themselves, however divided. There seemed to be a boys' and girls' side to the room, leaving even the temporarily present Fudomine kids to follow suit. Fuji snickered to himself. "Now I know why the club switch was announced."

Eiji wasted no time in joining the other boys from the team in their conversation, whatever the topic was. Fuji seated himself at the edge of the group, glancing around the room to take inventory. It seemed that all were there except for one Echizen Ryoma, undoubtedly waking from a late start per usual, and another girl he wouldn't have possibly known. He took the time to take note of Sakuno's behavior towards his absence, hoping to catch any peculiarities that contradicted their budding romance, or any worries that might have raised because of the absence of the other girl. At that moment, the instructor for the class (presumably) strode in. She wore her a bowler hat that hid her hair (somehow) accompanied by slacks and a trench coat. When the din settled to silence, she stood in the (presumed) front of the classroom and opened up the laptop she'd been carting around. The monitor turned on and revealed the emblem of the school.

_Death Note much? _Fuji mused. Smirks of recognition spread through the class, breaking the tension in the air.

"Can you hear me?" boomed a disembodied voice. It sounded odd through all the crackles of the speakers but it was unmistakably the voice of Ryuuzaki Sakuno's mother, the principal. She-Watari pressed her hand to her ear, obviously getting some feed from the principal and muttering responses back. A click echoed throughout the vicinity and she tried again.

"Can you hear me now?" It was clear and pristine, and the students mumbled a collective 'yes'. "Right, well, you're probably wondering why she"—indicating the mysterious trench coat girl—"is lugging me around like L. I couldn't be bothered to come down in person, so I had a messenger help me deliver this information." Out of the corner of his eye, Fuji saw Sakuno shake her head and run a hand through her hair, rolling her eyes at the screen in a way that said _"You're just being creatively lazy."_

"You'll be receiving instruction via this laptop everyday because the Drama teacher, Minagawa-sensei, is on maternity leave. Lucky you, huh? Anyway, this week will comprise of... Oh, hello, Ryoma, how nice of you to join us!" As though on cue (and it kind of was), everyone's heads turned to the back of the class where the door was. Echizen froze in his position, halfway through the doorway. No one had even heard the knob turning. Nonchalantly, he shrugged, closed the door behind him, and took a seat next to Sakuno, ignoring the gender wall that had been set up.

He nodded towards the laptop, "_Uissu_, Meimi-san."

_Meimi-san?_ What was a Freshman doing on first-name basis with his high school principal? And how had she known that he was coming in late?

"Hey, you haven't dropped by in a while, son. Anything wrong? Or is it just because your old man is giving you a hard time?" _Son? "Dropping by"? _The words registered in the heads of those who weren't the boys' Regulars, but they weren't computing. Sakuno smacked her forehead as if to say "_MOOOOOOOOM!"_ The color on her cheeks had changed to a slightly pink tinge, most likely out of embarrassment.

"Oh, stop it, Sakuno. You still cook dinner portions for five instead of just you, me, Papa, and Okaa-chan. We're all just waiting for the day when Ryoma comes back and has a meal with us again." Apparently monitoring the blank and weirded out stares she was getting from the twenty-something other students, she followed up with an explanation.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Sakuno's mom, if you weren't able to pick up from the last name. Ryoma's her best friend, and he practically _lived_ in my house for the past two years. He stopped coming over a short while ago, for whatever reason. But he's still part of the family, aren't you, son?" To this, Echizen nodded, causing Sakuno's forehead to sink down onto a nearby desk in sheer mortification at the conversation.

"Meimi-san, what are we supposed to be doing? You got cut off when I came in."

"Yes," Sakuno agreed in a muffled tone. "Please tell us now so I might actually have a chance to live through this day without metamorphosing into a strawberry or tomato or whatever else is a red fruit."

Meimi huffed over the speakers. "Yes, I'll get to that in a bit, but first I want to confirm something. Are you two an _item__?_"

Sakuno shot up, beet red and flustered. "MOM!" Echizen tried to hide his diminutive blush and looked at the well rather than at Sakuno, but he didn't scoff or deny it. Fuji was pretty damn sure that Ryuuzaki-kouchou were there in person, she'd be smiling obnoxiously and nudging her daughter into admitting her relationship.

"I'll take take that as a yes! Oh, and this week's focus is icebreakers! Learn the names of each individual currently in this room by next Monday to advance or you fail this course! ...except you Fudomine kids, you guys are safe. Choose whatever games, I don't care. There won't be anyone to monitor you, but make sure you use your time wisely!" Fuji tentatively raised his hand. "Yes, Fuji-kun?"

His cerulean eyes opened, concentrating on the detail he picked up earlier. "How do you expect us to learn the names of everyone in this class if there's a girl missing?"

A lengthy pause occurred. "What do you mean? She's right _here_, holding the laptop. Why? Wait, did she put that disguise on? No wonder. Well, if that's all, then I leave you all to it!" Rather hastily, there was another click over the speakers, implying that she had—for lack of better phrasing—_hung up on them. _She-Watari closed the laptop and set it on the table, unbuttoning the trench coat and building up suspense as she gripped the fabric and the brim of the hat. At once, she yanked them off and struck a 'ta-da!' pose. Oishi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Kara?" The girl fixed her angled bob and dusted off her shirt, smiling at him when she was done.

"Surprise, nii-chan!" she yelled in delight, bounding towards him with open arms. Kara tackled him in a hug, which he returned after sorting out his confusion.

"When did you transfer here?" he asked, patting her on the head.

"Last week! I told Sakuno-chan and Ryoma-san when I met them at _Honor's_ that one time."

Ann walked up to her. "Well, isn't this class just full of surprises today? Hi, I'm Ann, from Fudomine." Kara beamed at her.

"I'm Kara!" she exclaimed. "Nice to meet you!"

This seemed to break the waters for the class, because as soon as they got into a discussion about an American band called Korn, others decided to follow suit. The gender-wall had been torn to shreds, forgotten in the midst of mingling. Nonetheless, Fuji was able to spot something through all the bustle; The Prince had taken his best friend by the hand and led her out into the hallway, checking to see if anyone was watching them leave. Echizen's molten gold eyes clashed with Fuji's own baby blues for a second, conveying a very clear message before he broke contact and shut the door.

_Stop us if you dare_, Echizen taunted. _I swear you'll meet a worse sentence than even 1000 of Buchou's insane punishment laps or Inui-sempai's toxic waste combined._

Fuji smirked to himself. _Rest assured, Echizen, I'll leave you alone. But that doesn't mean I can't observe._ The tensai weaved his way through the crowd gracefully; he needed to get Inui's stealth tips for some after-school shadowing.

* * *

**And that's this chapter! I kinda rushed it and I'm not 100% okay with it, which is bad considering I've already posted it. Maybe I'll go through it later and edit it for more substance. Also, let me know if you find any typos. I caught some, but I'm not sure _all_.  
**

**Sakuno's mom is crazy.**

**Till next time, and happy birthday, you blue-eyed genius sadist, you! :]**

**~Randomness  
**


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